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Unsurprisingly, jumping spiders do actually have the ability to jump. This ability comes from their back legs; they rely on their segmented legs and hemolymph (or blood, to you and I) flow to do this.
When a jumping spider wants to jump, they do so by suddenly increasing the hemolymph pressure in their two or four back legs by contracting the muscles in the top half of their bodies. This causes their legs to extend, propelling them forward.
Jumping spiders lack the leg muscles that some hopping insects, like grasshoppers, have.
Jumping spiders – particularly the subspecies Phidippus Regius – have soared in popularity in recent years. Users on social media platforms, like TikTok and Instagram, have taken to promoting their pet jumping spiders as well as teaching people about them.
These small creatures are not only adorable, but they are also relatively easy to care for. This means they are not only great pets for expert arachnid-keepers, but beginners, too.
